Pragma
by xIrelandx
Summary: Pragmatic lovers are looking for someone who matches a predetermined set of criteria. They avoid extremes and are very practical. Although they take their relationships very seriously, they are not obsessive. Edgeworth/Gumshoe.


Miles Edgeworth is getting to that time in life where he feels the need to settle down. It seems a little ridiculous in his own hand; he might not have started a family (yet), but he's never exactly been wild or crazy. He's always been pretty settled, but that's hardly the point. The point is that he feels he's ready to plan out that romantic part of his life, and that's exactly what he intends to do on this Saturday morning.

_'Plan out' doesn't sound very romantic_, he muses to himself. He reasons he'll just have to keep that bit a secret from whomever he chooses on this list of twelve people, in alphabetical order (not that the alphabet really matters when you sort by yet initialize first names).

A. Justice  
A. Cykes  
D. Gumshoe  
E. Skye  
F. Von Karma  
K. Faraday  
K. Gavin  
L. Butz  
M. Fey  
P. Wright  
S. Blackquill  
W. Powers

Miles sighs to himself, immediately crossing Miss Faraday off the list. He had only ever included her so that he could have an even twelve. He has no particular romantic feelings toward her - she's like a sister, if anything, to him.

_And thinking of sisters..._ He frowned, before putting an (x) before Franziska's name, and the word (sister) after. Blood relations or no, it would feel incestuous.

At least the list was once more an even number

A. Justice  
A. Cykes  
D. Gumshoe  
E. Skye  
(x)F. Von Karma (sister)  
K. Faraday  
K. Gavin  
L. Butz  
M. Fey  
P. Wright  
S. Blackquill  
W. Powers

Miles leaned back, staring at the list with crossed arms. He'd made an entire pot of tea just for this occasion, but he still hadn't expected it to be quite as consuming as it was turning out to be. He wanted to go in order, but his mind kept forcing his attention elsewhere on the list.

K. Gavin. Klavier. He was intelligent, true, and attractive. As far as rockstars went, he was not quite so obnoxious, and he seemed to lack the psychopathy that took his brother captive. Despite all this, he was still - how did Ema put it? A "glimmerous fop," and Miles had to admit that he couldn't see himself feeling secure in dating a man so much younger than himself - and he wasn't Wright, for God's sake. Klavier was crossed off, as was Apollo.

Younger women were, however, a different story.

A. Justice  
A. Cykes  
D. Gumshoe  
E. Skye  
(x)F. Von Karma (sister)  
K. Faraday  
K. Gavin  
L. Butz  
M. Fey  
P. Wright  
S. Blackquill  
W. Powers

He frowned at his list, and decided once and for all to cross off Franziska's name. It still wasn't very clear - three names on the upper half, five on the lower. He tapped his own forearm in concentration.

_I have to think: what do I want in life, and who will best help me fulfill those ambitions?_ Well, he really wanted to remain Chief Prosecutor for a while; he was nowhere near retirement age. He was interested in having or adopting a child, no matter how strange his interactions with children might have seemed to others (_they're just poorly raised is all_, he thought to himself). Chief Prosecutor was a position that involved keeping up appearances. He'd need to involve himself with someone who wouldn't jeopardize his reputation by doing or saying something stupid.

A. Justice  
A. Cykes  
D. Gumshoe  
E. Skye  
(x)F. Von Karma (sister)  
K. Faraday  
K. Gavin  
L. Butz  
M. Fey  
P. Wright  
S. Blackquill  
W. Powers

Maya was a sweet girl who meant well, but her beliefs were somewhat farfetched and she hardly ever existed in the real world. For someone her age, she should have been past her childish obsessions. Of course Edgeworth enjoyed the Steel Samurai - who didn't? - but Maya Fey conducted herself in such an immature manner that people may be more likely to think her his child or sister than his wife.

And Larry - how did Larry wind up on the list in the first place?

Truth be told, Will Powers was not a very viable option. He hadn't heard from the man in some time, and he was fairly certain that Powers identified himself as straight. Perhaps not an insurmountable goal, but more trouble than was really worth. Athena Cykes was pretty, intelligent, energetic. She might have been the perfect choice, had Miles not in all seriousness accused her of murdering her own mother.

For that matter, her involvement in the case also stripped Blackquill of his potentiality. Blackquill was tied to Athena in the strongest of bonds, and the likelihood that he would forgive Edgeworth his indiscretion was slim.

A. Justice  
A. Cykes  
D. Gumshoe  
E. Skye  
(x)F. Von Karma (sister)  
K. Faraday  
K. Gavin  
L. Butz  
M. Fey  
P. Wright  
S. Blackquill  
W. Powers

And now, how small the list was. Did he even really know Ema all that well? Was she not engaged in romantic ordeals with somebody else - Apollo, Klavier, Trucy or some such? Her name was quickly scratched. Miles had no time for such debate. He was left, quite plainly, with two options: employee Dick Gumshoe, or childhood friend/longstanding rival Phoenix Wright.

Miles took a long sip of his tea. He tore the original paper in half, writing the final two names down on the legal sheet underneath.

Gumshoe, Dick  
Wright, Phoenix

If he were to be totally honest with himself, he'd always had hidden...feelings for Wright. The man was infuriating at the best of times, always so cheeky yet honest. Miles had never met someone so open. He couldn't discount the fact that Wright was rather attractive - handsome, even, with his dark hair and eyes and that deep blue suit. Even when he had fallen on hard times, Edgeworth noted that the man still carried a certain charm that made him irresistible.

_Apollo certainly thought so_. Miles's frown deepened. It was a source of bitterness for him, Wright's preoccupation with the child. Oh, he supposed that wasn't fair. Apollo was in his twenties, but he was still eleven years Wright's junior. Seeing them together did the oddest things to his stomach. He could see the positive influence that Apollo was on his mentor, and Miles was glad to see the man happy after so many years of suffering. But still, he was jealous. Phoenix had been the one to save him all those years ago, and Miles could not even return the favor.

_Childish emotionalism. That is what Wright would bring to the table_. Miles shook himself of his tired longing, and crossed his friends name from the list.

He was left, as always, with Gumshoe. He should have been insulted, or bothered. The detective was not the brightest man, and occasionally would say or do things to hinder his own case, such as giving the defense vital information. Yet there was a form of light that Gumshoe carried with him. Innocence, naivete, and the same drive to do what was right regardless of the consequences. It was the same good qualities that Edgeworth saw in Phoenix, but without the over-reactions.

"Mr. Edgeworth?" _Ah, speak of the Devil, and he shall arrive._

"Yes, detective?"

Gumshoe always looked out of place in Miles's office. His broad shoulders and messy hair spoke of the disorder and chaos he encountered while on the job. Miles had seen and felt it too, but it was something he tried to leave behind when entering his domain. He preferred his workspace to be one of serenity. It was the only way he could work.

_Perhaps this is not such a good idea, he wondered. It is entirely possible that my advances will go unwelcome. Gumshoe is always the first to rise to my defense, and I to his, but I have no inkling of his orientation, let alone -_

"Mr. Edgeworth?" Gumshoe must have been speaking, but Miles had missed it all, too caught up in his thoughts. Startled from the constant flow, he was unable to censor the words before they left his mouth.

"Detective, we are getting married."

Miles feared for the response. He didn't mean for it to sound so much like a demand, or even to skip that far ahead in his plan. People were meant to date first, discuss compatibility and beliefs about child rearing before jumping into something so legal. He was already preparing an out, in the event that the detective questioned who the "we" in that statement was, but Miles needn't have bothered.

"Okay, pal," Gumshoe shrugged, the same infectious smile as always on his face, "Whatever you want."

_This could work out better than expected._


End file.
